Located within the Elm Creek Watershed, Rice Lake is located in Maple Grove in Hennepin County in Minnesota. The lake is surrounded by I-94 on the west side, County Road 30 on the north side, and is west of Elm Creek Blvd. The lake is fed by Elm Creek, which flows north from Hamel, MN through the Elm Creek Park Reserve and eventually into the Mississippi River in Champlain, MN. At 330 acres, it is the 10th largest lake in Hennepin County in a watershed over 100 square miles.

Who are we?

The Rice Lake Area Association (RLAA) is a non-profit organization with a mission to improve and maintain the quality of water and habitat on Rice Lake and the immediate surrounding area.

As of Saturday afternoon, the aerator has been put in place and turned on for the remainder of the winter season. It will run 24x7 until the ice is out in the spring and aeration is no longer needed. An expanded area of open water should develop in the coming weeks from the original 12’x7’ hole which was opened up this weekend.

Thin Ice signs have been posted around the perimeter of the area expected to open up.

PLEASE EXERCISE CAUTION IF YOU VENTURE INTO THIS AREA, ESPECIALLY ALONG THE CABLE RUN FROM THE SHORELINE TO THE AERATOR!!!

The aerator has been repaired and will be deployed this weekend in the original location in the far NW corner of the lake. Please use caution when in the area, as the power cable (which runs from the shoreline out to the aerator) is situated on top of the ice rather than under.

December 27, 2017 - Submitted request to Xcel Energy to restore power

Xcel needs to turn power back on at the box. They should have this done within a couple of days.

The 350' power cable was retrieved from the lake and will be stored off-site until the power panel and cable can be repaired and reconnected. A determination will be made at a later date if the aerator will be re-deployed and run for the winter, based on the weather conditions.

November 30, 2017 - Winter Aerator recovered and left on shore

With the help from the Hennepin County Water Patrol, the aerator was rescued from the middle of the lake. 2 of the 3 anchors were also recovered.

November 28, 2017 - Winter Aerator broke free from moorings!

The winter aerator, which was anchored in the NW corner of the lake, has drifted out across the lake towards the east shoreline in the heavy winds yesterday/today. It presently appears to be hung up halfway across the lake towards the eastern shoreline. If anyone has any suggestions/resources on how to rescue it, contact us at ricelakeassoc@comcast.net. Thank you! (Click for details of this event)

October 28 2017 - Lake Update

Pulled out Slow/No Wake buoys today and set out the Winter Aerator in the far NW corner of the lake to run for the winter season to help oxygenate the water and sustain our fish population. Aerator will be turned on later as ice begins to form and Thin Ice and other Warning signs will be posted shortly thereafter. (Aerator deployment photo)

July 11, 2017 - Navigation update (West Bay)

For those of you who motorboat to the west of the I-94 bridge in what we refer to as the 'West Bay', there is heavy vegetation in the area and you may need to clean your prop after traversing through the channel.

June 11, 2017 - Keep our storm drains open!

For those of you who live near a street storm drain, this morning's storm may have created a backup with fallen debris. Feel free to clear that debris so the drainage system can function properly. Thank you in advance for your help!

Thanks to those of you who have reported sightings of CLP this season. We will need to keep an eye on growth to see if it becomes a navigation nuisance. Note: Other lakes in the area are also seeing an increase in CLP growth this season.

May 1, 2017 - Slalom Course has been set up for the season

The resident ski club has put out the course in a similar location as last year on the north side of the uninhabited peninsula.The club typically uses the course in the early morning hours when the weather is calm.

March 26, 2017 - Any Fish Kill after this year's Ice Out?

Has anyone seen any dead fish at all this spring on either the lake or creek?

March 26, 2017 - Ice is out on lake and Elm Creek

As of this Sunday, March 26, the ice is completely out on Rice Lake and Elm Creek.

March 23, 2017 - Ice is out on lake and most of Elm Creek

As of this Thursday, March 23, the ice is completely out on Rice Lake and most of Elm Creek. This is the 2nd Ice Out on the lake this season.

March 12, 2017 - Ice is back in again on lake and Elm Creek

As of this past Sunday (March 12), ice is back in again on both the lake and Elm Creek.

March 7, 2017 - Ice is out on lake and Elm Creek

As of this Tuesday, March 7, the ice is completely out on both Rice Lake and Elm Creek. This happens to be the earliest recorded Ice Out for Rice Lake!.

February 28, 2017 - Elm Creek (north) ice is out; lake ice still in but unstable

As of this past week, the ice has gone out on Elm Creek (north of the lake) and is most likely unsafe on the lake. Please use caution in these areas.

January 29, 2017 - Open water and potentially hazardous ice conditions continue to exist

Mostly on Elm Creek and under bridges where salting/sanding has occurred. There is open water under the County Road 30 bridge on Elm Creek as of today. Please use extreme caution if out on the ice!

January 2, 2017 - More open water on Elm Creek near County Road 30 bridge

Just another reminder that there is more open water on Elm Creek south of the County Road 30 bridge.

December 29, 2016 - Some open water under County Road 30 bridge on Elm Creek

Just a reminder that although ice is in on most of the lake/creek, there may still be some open water or unsafe ice conditions. A case in point is beneath the County Road 30 bridge over Elm Creek. There is actually some open water beneath the bridge, created by plowing and road salt from the road surface above.

December 8, 2016 - Ice In officially on lake

But be careful until the ice is thick enough for weight/traffic!

October 16, 2016 - Navigation Buoys

The 3 navigation buoys and 1 island marker buoy have been removed from the lake and creek for the season. The slalom ski course buoys have also been removed from the lake for the season.

June 26 2016 Stonehenge Island Buoy

The buoy marking the island in the NW corner of the lake has been replaced with a new anchor as of today. Remember to use caution when navigating in this area.

June 24 2016 Stonehenge Island Buoy

The buoy marking the island in the NW corner of the lake has broken free and will be reattached soon. Remember to use caution when navigating in this area.

May 19 2016 Lake Conditions update

During the past week, the algae level has picked up ahead of normal season expectations. Similar algae blooms are being seen on other lakes as well. There is also a recent partial fish kill which seems to be impacting only bullheads (yeah!) and nothing else at this time. The reason for that partial fish kill of bullheads only is unknown, but may be disease related (click here for details on possible Columnaris disease).

This page was last updated on: March 14, 2018

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